Wednesday, June 25, 2014

knits and pieces

Hello! How are you? Is it hot where you are or freezing cold like it is here?

Here it is seriously cold, that sort of cold that seeps under your zillions of layers of clothing and chills you to the bone. That sort of cold that makes it look like twilight all day long. That sort of cold that burns your skin and stings your nose when you breathe. That sort of cold that feels difficult and heavy. And to be honest I started this week feeling quite crap about it all. Winters are looooooong here and this is just the very beginning.

But then while I was driving home from school drop off and planning the rest of my Monday in my mind, it occurred to me that if I worked it out right I could have a lovely winter, we all could. Winter in fact is when a lot of my favourite things to do, make the most sense: baking, knitting, eating soup, crocheting, reading long novels, playing board games, drinking lots of hot coffee and peppermint tea, crafting with my kids, listening to podcasts in the bath, wearing thick stripy tights and getting stuck right into a TV series and watching it on my lap-top night after night after the girls have gone to bed.

With these happy winter thoughts always at the back of my mind, and two home fires blazing at all times, I think I might just be able to have a happy winter after all.

Oh did someone say knitting?

Well first I knitted Miss Jazzy a pair of slippers in her chosen colours.

So often making the same thing more than once drives me a little crazy, but these slippers are so quick and fun to knit that I would have even been happy to knit a fifth pair. But, I was told in no uncertain terms that Miss Indi would not be giving up her uggs in a hurry and no thanks. Teenagers eh?!

After that I knitted her a beanie in her chosen black. And it almost killed me. You know how you can barely see the design in the photo? Well that's how it was to knit. I was squinting and carrying on the whole time. At one stage the stitches even came off my needles in my basket and I had to rip it out and start again from the band, ahhhhhhhhhhh. I only hope she wears it now.

Then I pulled down the basket with last winter's blanket project in it and knitted a pink square. The 43rd square in this book. I had thoughts of knitting a bit and then stitching it all together bit by bit...

....until Miss Jazzy came home from school yesterday with freezing hands and a request for some little fingerless mittens. She chose the wool I'd bought at a garage sale years ago and I found a pattern and cast on. Now Miss Pepper says she needs pink ones next.

36 comments:

I would have happily slipped my feet into a pair of those slippers Kate! So gorgeous!

Right now what's keeping me warmest when we are out & about is wearing Miss Sadie in the hug-a-bub. It keeps us both warm, she sleeps the whole time & it keeps my hands & hips free to wrangle/carry Blake :)

It's getting hot and muggy where I am, but I've just taken up knitting and I am so inspired! Right now I'm just working on a simple wrap, but I can only hope to get into more complicated projects--these are beautiful!

Oh my! It sounds so cold. The man and I have been tossing around ideas of moving eastwards but I've got to say that just now I'm feeling less inclined. I find winters in these parts challenging enough... still - there is no need for gloves here and you can easily get away without beanies and fancy slippers. As a yarn lover perhaps colder wouldn't be so bad. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad... but you've really go me thinking.

It sure does sound cold! We have summer here, fortunately it is not too hot. ( I hate the heat!)Lots and lots of tea, knitting, good movies and a warm sweet cat to lie on my lap, are my winter rutines:)It is nice that they appreciate what you make for them :)

I don't envy your cold weather. We just came out of one of the coldest winters in record for our area. I have a mattress pad heater on our bed that I couldn't survive without in the winter. We have a 100 yr old log cabin that is not sealed tightly, although we have worked hard insulating and caulking:). My spot is by the wood stove in the family room. Now with it being extremely warm I am out working in my stained glass shop making stepping stones for future Christmas presents:) also playing with the dogs and horses plus being a nervous Nellie since my daughter just received her drivers license:). Your mittens and slippers look comfy and cozy! I so love making things, crochet for me, for my family and friends.

Wow, it is really cold on the other side of the world! Over here in Germany it should be summer but it really is not... sighs... oh well, it means my pullovers get some love and aren t just used for the rest of the year.You knitted slippers looks great! No wonder you family loves them! My trick for chilly winter days are tights under the normal pants. The thin, tranparent ones work best!Take careAnne http:// crochetbetweentwoworlds.blogspot.de

If it's any consolation it's hot here and I stink and I have a large horsefly bite on my knee that is erupting into an allergic blister. Life on the flipside huh! Enjoy your snuggly slippers and hot drinks in front of the fire. xx

Your knitting is lovely. In cold weather, I like to crochet afghans so that they will grown down over my lap and keep me warm as I work. I try to save big blanket projects for winter so I can take advantage of their coverage.

You sound like me in the cold winters here. We've just had summer solstice last week and we're in the warmest part of our year. I love it. But winter finds me hibernating at home and doing lots more knitting and crocheting. I would love to live in a warm place all year long. Beautiful projects. I know all of them will be well used and loved.Blessings,Betsy

It seems strange to think of you shivering whilst we are having a rare heatwave. Lovely knits though, keep going! I'm hooking up a blanket plus a million other things on needles - seems strange to be making winter knits in summer too! x

Love your knitted delights!! I'm new to crocheting and I'm smitten. Winter is the perfect time for me to be curled up with the wool. I must say I love winter, all you need are the right clothes and attitude ;) Jan x

I love all your knitting Kate! It's cold here and windy. Not as cold as your place, but yucky winds. The wind ripped my best snow peas off the fence. I think I'll be tying them up next time. Here I am knitting, I can't get enough of it, baking, reading, sitting near the fire and going outside as little as possible. I wish I could click my fingers and the housework was done so I could knit, read and bake all day. I love hot chocolate, mugs of tea (have you tried dandelion? Meant to be good for us girls and our hormones), soup and sitting near the fire to keep me warm. I would love to be baking in a wood stove like yours Kate. I am also hoping to be adding to my knitted woolies, cowls, beanie, gloves and maybe some slippers too. I want to get more of my blanket done though before I start anything new. Enjoy your days Kate. xxoo

Wow! You have been soooo productive this Winter. I admire your enterprise and you must be a very speedy knitter. I'm impressed and agree that winter is the time to indulge in activities that cannot be enjoyed in the summer such as snuggling up to the fire, wearing cuddly warm woollens, baking and all of those indoor pursuits that fall by the wayside when the summer sun calls us outdoors.

I have a friend who has encouraged me each winter (which I dislike immensely) to think about the nice things that happen in winter, most which you mentioned in your post. Other friends in Queensland say with warmer weather all the time, they don't feel like sitting down to a roast dinner or a warming casserole or a chocolate self saucing pudding, eating those warming foods is so good when it's cold. I like walking but not in the rain so I bought myself some waterproof clothing so I can indulge my love of the outdoors. I love seeing your knitting, slippers, beanies and now fingerless gloves. Visually very warm and cosy.Anne xx

just lost my comment - I'll see if I can remember what I said. I love this post. I love it because you turn cold and bleak nights into evenings with options - reading, cooking, knitting, bathing. My favorite way to warm up - sofa, crotchet, dog, tea and DVD. Love the sock series. The images would make calendar images.

It's terribly cold here in the Snowy Mountains and I get very moody with trying to keep the fire going, trying to dry laundry and so much mess to clean up after cooking all day. Everything seems so cold and wet here but that has to do with living in an old house. Yes I really need to get stuck in to a good tv series. Thanks! I find I get quite claustrophobic in winter because everyone spends more time inside the house (and not to mention all the laundry drying in our small lounge room!) so a good clean out and drop off's to the op-shop has done wonders for me.

Great projects. The slippers are cute, but I would worry about them being slippery on wood floors? Knitting in black for her teenage daughter - that's a mother's love! I made a 4 square pillow out of different stitches. It was fun, kept it interesting doing something new. And it is hot here. We are coming into the hot, humid, hazy days of summer with thunderstorms in the afternoons and mosquitoes whining in our ears.

I'm on my third pair of slippers now. Thanks so much for the pattern. They really are quick and theres plenty of room for my toes to spread out too. This pattern has now replaced the one I usually use. Love your daughters pair with odd colours.

I love Winter; snugly warm inside, fire going, quilting in hand, cups of tea, mugs of soup, bowls of slow cooked goodness. And wrapping up to go outside - hat, scarf, gloves, coat over wooly jumpers - and being invigorated by cold winds, then revelling in returning to the warmth of home. LOVE it! SO enjoying that Winter has finally arrived!!

Hi Kate, I like your blog, and the slippers looks realy nice, so they are on my list of knitting and crocheting...I will absolutely try them. We have summer in Czech republic, well sort of summer :D, but I love this time of year, we can eat nearly everything from the garden...now is the time of cherries. But I havent much time for my hobbies. So yep. :D But this is the live, we have to find the way of our happines...we have to lead it as much as its possible. Have a nic winter time, ale of your familly.

Your winters sound positively balmy! It was, can you believe this, 80 degrees colder (in Fahrenheit) here I n northern Montana this past winter than it is in Daylesford currently. I'd be pretty happy for a pair of those cute slippers come December!

Lovely, lovely knitting. I always have to remind myself in winter that this is when I have the most energy. So when I can drag myself away from the heater I try to think of all the projects I just won't feel like doing in summer, and get warm getting stuck into them! Hope you have a lovely winter!

I do read every single comment you leave and appreciate it very much, but I should let you know that I can be a wee bit on the useless side when replying to comments, that's just me, everyday life sometimes gets in the way....so I'll apologise now, just in case.